The Tie Breaker
by Unrequited
Summary: Ash and Misty end up on opposite ends of the arena for the second time, takes place early on in the Johto League.


THE TIE BREAKER

"It's a bright and shining day like any other in the world of Pokémon as our heroes walk through Carnation Village.  Although Carnation Village doesn't have a Gym, the town is famous for its Flower Stadium where Pokémon trainers battle each other.  Ash Ketchum, always up for a battle and in need of some extra training is eager to reach the stadium before it closes for the night.  

"But it appears that Ash is the only one, his companions are all tired from reaching the village in the in the first place.  So they walk onward to the PokéCenter instead."  Only an instant in the doors and Brock rushes towards the resident Nurse Joy.  Ash quickly finds another Pokémon trainer to talk to and challenge.  Misty, being the only near sane one left stomps on Brock's foot, holding him in place and distracting him from Nurse Joy.

"Are there any beds left Nurse Joy?"  Misty asks, excited about getting a rest.

"No, I'm afraid that there aren't, we've had so many trainers come in today…  But there is a hotel open to minors two blocks to the right."  Even Nurse Joy looks exhausted as she surveys the center.

"O-Okay."  Misty replies, lifting her foot and grabbing Brock by his backpack.  On her way out, Misty grabs Ash's arm to drag the both of them out the door and towards the hotel.  Once outside, Ash wrenches his arm away from Misty and proceeds to walk behind them.  Misty then also releases her grip on Brock seeing that Ash is now annoyed and Brock has returned to normal.

The hotel looks fashionable, has five storeys, and only a few cars in the spacious parking lot.  Since the person at the hotel desk is a man, Brock remains calm and goes to bargain with him.

"Why are we staying in a hotel?"  Asks Ash, nervous in the setting.

"There wasn't any room at the PokéCenter and Nurse Joy suggested this place."  Replies Misty hoping that Ash wouldn't suggest sleeping outside instead.

Brock came back to the two, happy that he got a good deal after little haggling.  "Well guys, I got us one room, two big beds for a day and two nights."

"How much?"  Ash asked, aware that the center would have been free, but a room wasn't.  And saving up to buy, or pay back, a 10,000¥ bike was quite a chore.

"_Two beds?"  Misty asked.  Brock was not the person to sleep near since no amount of bed space was free of his dreams.  Brock tended to have emotional, touchy, and _especially_ feely dreams.  Then there was Ash who would completely refuse to sleep in the same bed with her no matter how big it was._

"Don't worry about it Ash, I'll take care of it, it wasn't that much.  And Misty, we'll just see how big the beds are when we get there.  Follow me."  Brock motioned for them to follow as he said it and they dragged themselves up to the fourth floor.  As Brock opened the door, they could see that the room was pretty spacious and the beds were enough to barely fit three people per bed.

"Aww, man…." Could be heard from both Ash and Misty.  Ash knew as well as Misty that Brock had all too vivid dreams.  Plus, there was no telling what would happen to him if he slept in the same bed as Misty.  He could admit that he was a little tired of sleeping on the ground.  But that meant that no matter what one of the beds, preferably the one that Brock wasn't on, would have two people on it.  If he assumed possession of the other bed first, Misty would reluctantly, but without harming him, agree to sleep near him.

With this idea in mind Ash took a running leap onto one of beds.  "In the name of Ash Ketchum, Pokémon Master I claim this bed."  Ash sat on the bed with a smug look on his face, until Brock said seriously, "Well Misty, it's just me and you…  So let's settle this like adults…  Rock – Paper - Scissors."  Ash and Misty fell to the floor from shock and amazement.

But Misty got back up ready for battle.  "Rock – Paper – Scissors!"  Misty threw a scissors, but Brock, a little too predictably, picked rock.  "Oh, I should have known you would pick that!"

With a glint in his eye and his hand on his chin Brock remarked, "Indeed, Misty, could it be that you wanted to be in the same bed as Ash?  We all know that you'd rather beg him than spend another night on the floor."  While she would rather beg, her initial intention had been simply to win and stay away from Brock, who didn't even know of his nightly mayhem.  She blushed at the thought of being in the same bed, wanting to, and accidentally looking like she wanted to.

Ash, surprised and embarrassed himself, jokingly said, "Misty!"

"It's not what you think!"  Walking up to Ash, she whispered in his ear, "If I told Brock that girls shouldn't sleep with boys, I'm sure he would give me yours.  And then you'd be stuck near Brock."  Ash looked towards Brock, who was unpacking his pillow, and shivered in horror.  "So, just let me sleep here, you know there's enough room."  Ash nodded his head agreeing and happy that he was unharmed and had a bed to sleep in.

So everyone got ready for bed, teeth were brushed and actual nightclothes were brought out.  In a short amount of time everyone was asleep, Pikachu had found a dresser drawer, with a blanket in it, to be very comfortable.  None of them snored exactly, but Brock could be heard mumbling to himself about Jenny and Joy.

Only a few hours after falling asleep, Ash felt very warm and slightly confined.  Although he was tired and it was hard to do, Ash opened his eyes in hopes of seeing why.  That's when he realized that he was not in Brock's arms, but Misty's.  He thought to himself, (If Misty sees this she'll croak.  If I don't do anything stupid, when she wakes up she'll totally know that it's her fault not mine.  But I don't really want her to be _that_ embarrassed.  Though, what if she already knows it's me?! What if she's awake?!  Maybe what Brock said about her was true!)  Aloud, but quietly, "Misty…  Misty." After the second time he could feel her heartbeat get faster and her arms grasp him a little more tightly for a second, pressing him even closer to her chest.  He tried again, "Mmssy…  Mmssy!"  

"Wha… Ash?  What is it?"

"Erm dur oo mine?"  He said, muffled by her chest.  

She felt around a little more just to be sure, while Ash sweated it out.  When she figured it out she sat up in bed releasing her grip and leaving Ash to slide confused into her lap.

"Oh my gosh Ash I'm sorry, I thought you were Togepi!"  Misty lied, but covered it up by looking around the room until she spotted the egg in the drawer sleeping next to Pikachu.

"Don't worry about it Misty, I won't tell."  Ash said as he slid off her and lay back down to sleep.

In Ash's opinion, in order to make up for not going to the Stadium the day before, everyone must get up and be there in time for it's opening.

Once there Ash was lucky to discover other trainers wanting a quick battle before leaving to travel during the day.  Feeling overly confident and extra excited, he started talking to the first trainer he saw.

"If you're looking for a tough battle, I'm it.  I was in the top sixteen in the Indigo League, won the Orange League and just won my second badge in the Johto League, if you want to back out do it now."

After a speech like that Misty just couldn't help herself.  "Ash!" feigning shock, "When did you become such a serious trainer?  You don't have to brag about how easy you've had it."

It was bad enough when Misty added her two cents about what kind of a Pokémon Master he was, but it was infuriating when she did it in front of other trainers.  Especially when she knew that it was hard for anybody, including himself, to do what he had accomplished so far.

"When did you become the Gym Leader that can fight her own Pokémon battles?  And you know that I did really well in those competitions!"

"I just don't think you need to brag about it when you still can't even beat Gary."

"That was a low blow Misty and I can't even believe you brought that up!"

Brock was slowly walking away, never turning his back, but leaving all the same.  Brock hadn't let them fight it out in a long time and tension was really building up.  If something didn't happen now, one of them would leave the group with hurt feelings one day and never come back.  They would just have a duel and when they were ready they'd come back to the hotel, which is where Brock would be, safe, sane and waiting for them.

"But it's true, with all the _hard work_ you've been doing, you should at least be able to beat your rival."

"That's it Misty!  You and me; we should have finished this a long time ago.  And now's the perfect chance, I challenge YOU to a Pokémon battle!"  Ash stamped his foot and pointed his finger straight at her.  

The two walked over to the judges and referee and set up an un-timed Pokémon battle using all Pokémon (5vs5) until one trainer couldn't go on.

"This is a five on five battle, with no exchanges, between Pokémon Master Ash Ketchum and Cerulean Gym Leader Misty, let the battle begin," calls the referee.

Pulling his hat backwards and reaching towards his Pokéballs, "I choose you, Tauros!"  Tauros, was one of his stronger Pokémon, surely it would knock whatever Misty had out of the water.

Setting down Togepi and reaching for her own belt, "Misty calls, Psyduck!  Let's see you tickle your way out of this one!"  Knowing that Tauros' specialty is power, Psyduck would have a killer migraine in no time.  Who could forget the time Psyduck went up against Bulbasaur and was tickled out of a headache?

"Tauros, pursuit!"

"Psyduck, psych up!"  The duck stopped looking around and held its head even tighter than usual.

"Tauros, thrash before it can psychically attack!"  The bull scratched at the ground and tore off towards the duck.

"Psyduck, just hold out until it gets confused, then use your confusion attack for twice the power."  Psyduck was down to its last bit of energy, thanks to thrash, but prevailed and knocked out Tauros.

Ash recalled Tauros but didn't blink before sending out the next, "Go Cyndaquil!"

Misty knew any attack would get rid of Psyduck, but he was still in his state of awareness. "Psyduck, try your confusion!"

"Cyndaquil, shake it off and do a swift attack!"

Psyduck didn't last through it and the confusion attack wasn't enough to confuse Cyndaquil.  Misty recalled Psyduck, calculating her next move, "Go, Goldeen!"

Luckily there was a moat-like channel of water surrounding them, for just such occasions (how could it be a stadium without one?).

"Cyndaquil, smokescreen!"  The smoke surrounded the two Pokémon.

"Goldeen, agility to move away from the smoke!  Once you're behind it horn drill." A sneak attack was the only way that a horn drill would work, and it did.

Looking slightly worried, Ash recalled Cyndaquil and sent out Chikorita.

"Chikorita, razor leaf!"  The leaves cut through the water right to Goldeen.  The spray overwhelmed Goldeen.  So Misty sent out Poliwhirl.

"Poliwhirl, belly drum!"

"Chikorita, solar beam is our only hope!"  Ash hoped there would be enough time to complete the attack, but Poliwhirl took the initiative.

"Poliwhirl, body slam!"

Chikorita was out cold, so Bulbasaur was in.

"Bulbasaur, sleep powder!  Then vine whip it!"  The spores got everywhere, Poliwhirl was tough but tired and fell to the attack.  Misty looked away as her Poliwhirl was beat until the referee confirmed it unable to battle.

"What's the matter Misty?  You can dish it out but you can't take it?" Ash was feeling more confident now.

Misty fumed now, even Ash didn't like seeing his Pokémon get hurt, why should she?  She had been saving up her best, and she was nearly down to it, but this was a chance for Staryu.

"Staryu, give it your best hydro pump!"

Staryu's best was enough.  Ash was now down to Pikachu, and Misty still had Staryu and Togepi, enough to wipe out Ash.  But was that really what she wanted?  Misty left Ash and Staryu up there and walked to the judges, the referee followed.  When they were done, Misty returned to recall Staryu and the referee announced, "This match is a tie."

Ash was perfectly stunned while Misty picked up Togepi and walked away from him without a word.  There was no way he would let this go.  They had been saying ever since they left Cerulean City that they never finished their match and that the other one would have lost.  This was their chance to find out who would have won.

Ash stormed out of the building without a glance at any of the other trainers.  Normally Ash would have thought of his Pokémon first and gotten them healed right away but he was too wrapped up in his unfinished battle.  He was headed straight for the hotel.

When he came upon Brock, by himself, he realized that, Misty would have been much more calm and gone to the Pokémon Center first.

"Ash, you're back!  Where's Misty?"  Brock asked, looking relieved and unsure at the same time as he arose from a chair where he had been reading Breeder's Monthly Magazine.

"I don't know, I think that she's at the Pokémon Center… She left right in the middle of the battle without me…"

"What happened?  Did you two get in a real fight?"

"I don't know, we didn't even finish our battle, then she went over to the judges and they called a tie.  Then she took her Pokémon and walked away."

"I wasn't sure if she'd go through with it.  I think she made the right decision.  Think about it Ash, if you lost to Misty in a true battle, you'd be sore wouldn't you, and mad at her.  Then you two would drift apart, get in more fights.  Then one day, you'd convince her to go on her own journey."

"I wouldn't have lost."

"That's not the point Ash!  If she lost, she'd be just as hurt as you would, and the same thing would happen, you'd never let her hear the end of it, you'd drift apart, get in more fights.  Then one day, she'd go back home.

"What was the battle status when they called the tie?"

Ash thought for a moment, "I was down to Pikachu and she had Staryu and Togepi.  Why?"

"Pikachu could've taken down Staryu, but do you really think Pikachu could handle hurting Togepi?  She just didn't want _you to get hurt Ash."_

"B-But…"

"Why don't you just stay here and think about it, I'll take your Pokéballs to get healed and send Misty here to make up with you.  So don't screw it up."  Brock added the last with extra emphasis, but winked.

Brock left Ash sitting in a chair, eyes fixed on the door, thinking about the truth in Brock's words about the possibilities.

Misty was just leaving with her renewed Pokémon as Brock entered.

"Hi Brock!"

"Misty, we need to talk…" Brock said as he walked over to the front desk and deposited Ash's Pokéballs.  They walked outside to sit underneath a tree hiding from a high sun, as it was still early in the day.

"Ash wanted to know why you didn't continue the battle."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him a few reasons.  But _you_ need to talk to him.  You need to get over some of these arguments and stay friends.  But I'm not saying it's the greatest time to tell him you love him, either."

Misty started blushing, "I'd have to like him to be able to tell him I love him."  She said turning away.

"Misty, I'm not Ash, you don't have to pretend you aren't in love with him.  I feel sorry for you, spending two years with him and acting like you don't really care about him.  For now you should just go back to the hotel, explain why you stopped the battle and make up with him." Misty and Brock simultaneously got up to leave, Brock to the Pokémon Center, Misty to the hotel.

Misty trudged along, in no hurry to reach the hotel, wondering if she was prepared, if she needed a speech, or if she should run away now.  It was one thing to not be able to tell Ash that she was in love with him, but another, when she felt like she couldn't.  After all, Ash was the type of kid who was dedicated to one thing only, Pokémon, which had nothing to do with his feelings towards girls.

But Misty continued because, after all, there was still hope.

Ash had become very nervous and when Misty opened the door, he jumped out of his chair and was standing in front of her.

At that moment, seeing Ash in front of her, looking a million emotions in one small person in front of her, made her realize something.  She was jealous of Brock.  Able to confess any feelings to any girl he happened by so easily, while in a way she had fallen in love with the wrong person.  She wouldn't be able to communicate to Ash how she felt until he was at least two years older; by that time he could find someone else.  What if he thought of her as a sister too much by that time?  Or maybe he'd simply leave them.  Sure he had feelings for her, but not the same kind, or he didn't know what they were.

"Hi Ash!" (That's it nice and slow)  Misty said, acutely aware that he was just an arms' length away.

"Hi Misty!  Brock said you'd be coming back, you had me worried there." (Don't screw it up!)  Ash said, calming down a little.

"You were worried about me?"  Misty asked hopefully.

"Of course! You're…one of my best friends."  Remembering that Pikachu was in the room he said, "one of" rather than "best friend."  Misty did mean a lot to Ash, she'd been there for him as long as Pikachu and with as much loyalty too.

(Of course…) Feeling a little sad. "Let's sit down, I've got to talk to you." 

So they sat next to each other on the bed they had slept in last night.

"Ash I quit the battle because it wasn't important.  It would only have torn us apart and a Pokémon battle isn't worth that.  It isn't worth losing you over."

"Then why'd you start in the first place?"

"Because you made me angry and I had to teach you a lesson."

"What do mean teach ME a lesson, I was winning!"

"You were not!"

"I was too, you chicken!"

"That's enough!  You challenged me and I fought you!  Of course you wouldn't understand what I did."  Misty looked sad and angry at the same time; unable to stand it she went to the window for some fresh air after setting down Togepi where she had been sitting. 

(I screwed it up…)  Ash realized watching her go to the window looking depressed.

"Ash do you want me to leave?"  She surprised him and for a moment he was without words.

"Traveling with us is your decision."  Ash stated, walking towards her until he was just behind her.

"No Ash," she quickly turned around to face him, "do _you_ want me around?"

Ash understood what she was asking now and smiled reassuringly, "Misty, just because we got in a fight doesn't mean I don't want you around.  You're my best friend, it wouldn't be the same without you."

Misty was smiling happily now.  Maybe she wouldn't tell him all about her feelings now, but there was no way she'd let him forget her or think of her as a sister.  Even when Misty knew that afterwards they'd pretend it never happened, she had to try it, just once.  She took off his hat and ran her fingers through his hair.  Ash was in shock now, seeing how beautifully she smiled and now how she was playing with his hair.  Then pulling him close to her, "Thank you Ash."  She said before kissing him on the lips.  If he was in shock before, he was in a coma now.  The kiss was longer than just a friendly kiss, but just short enough that he couldn't get a handle on it.

Misty put his hat back on his head and as she walked out the door, satisfied with her work, "I'll go get Brock and be back soon, okay." She said from the doorway.

After Misty shut the door, Ash blinked for the first time in minutes and fell to his knees putting a hand to his mouth.


End file.
